Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are widely recognized as the two best players of this century and, for some, the greatest of all time. However, Brazil legend Romario sees the Portuguese forward differently.
“Were you better than Cristiano Ronaldo?” a LeodiasTV reporter asked Romario during a recent interview. “Yes. I was below Messi, and above Cristiano,” was the emphatic response from the former 60-year-old striker.
Asked by the interviewer to explain why he places the Argentina star above Ronaldo, Romario elaborated: “Because Messi, in my opinion, is a guy who was born with that gift. It’s innate. Everything he has, he already had when he was born.”
By contrast, Ronaldo’s success is, in Romario’s eyes, less a product of talent and more the result of hard work. “Cristiano became one of the greatest in the world throughout his career. In other words, his professionalism made him who he is,” said the 1994 World Cup winner. “But technically, for example, no, they can’t even be compared.”
Romario of Brazil during 1994 World Cup.
Romario picks the four greatest players of all time
A few days earlier, in another conversation, Romario spoke about who he believes are the greatest players of all time, maintaining a consistent line with this comparison between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
see also
‘No one should doubt it’: Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2030 World Cup hopes boosted by Portugal coach Martinez
“Pele, Maradona and Messi played better than I did. And maybe Garrincha,” admitted Romario, who was a contemporary of Diego Maradona and even faced him in an official match during the 1989 Copa America, when Brazil defeated Argentina 2-0.
On that occasion, when asked about Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence from that ranking, the Brazilian icon explained his reasoning. “When I talk about those who played less, I mean that I was more complete than them. For example, Cristiano Ronaldo. I’ve heard him say and read that he is the best player of all time. For me, he isn’t, but I respect that position one hundred percent — he has the right to say it. He can say he’s among the five best forwards,” Romario said.
Romario claims he scored 1,000 goals
One thing linking Romario and Cristiano Ronaldo is the race toward 1,000 goals. The Portugal star is currently very close to reaching that mark, with 973 goals in his club and international career. If he gets there, CR7 would become the first player to officially achieve it, although Romario insists he already reached the milestone himself.
On May 20, 2007, Romario celebrated what he called the 1,000th goal of his professional career while playing for Vasco da Gama. However, that figure has been questioned by experts because it includes friendly matches, youth tournaments, and unofficial games. According to FIFA’s official records, the Brazilian striker retired with 772 goals.
